Six Word Sacrifice
by Marisa Serise
Summary: All Kuchiki Kouga really wants in this world are six little words, said sincerely from one Kuchiki Ginrei. Is that too much to ask? Set within the events of ep 250 & 251. Potential 5-shot/series. T for violence. No pairings or yaoi.


**Six Word Sacrifice, a Kouga fic**

**Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine.**

**Warnings: Violence, really. No yaoi. OK…an _itty-bitty_ hint of one-sided KougaxMuramasa, but nothing super-noticeable.**

**Notes: I wanted to write a Kouga fic. I just joined the Kouga FC BA, and wanted to contribute. This is my first Kouga fic for the contribution and stuffs. It's following fillernon, and is NOT related to 'Pillars', my other Kouga/Muramasa storyverse. This is its own standalone story, and set T for mentions of violence. No pairings & full notes at the bottom as always.**

Storytime in the place to be!

* * *

As they look down on the chaotic scene below them, Kouga already knows what his next moves are. How could he not know the next steps when the rest of his life has been structured, shaped and re-shaped so intensely? If he stopped to think about it, Kouga would have to admit that these steps were even imprinted right into the core of his soul.

Yet there was no time to think. He knew that even before Ginrei-dono said another word.

"The rebels are growing in numbers."

"Then now is not the time to discuss matters, you know. I will take care of things."

He knows why he says the words: duty, first and foremost. Those rebel scum are in _his_ homeland, a land he has sworn to protect at any cost, up to and including his life. He cannot think of any other course of action than to dive as deep as any river, and cut down the rebels before their numbers swell any larger than they have.

He senses Ginrei-dono's hesitance and tries a different approach. They are alone, and family on top of that. Surely Ginrei-dono will see his point of view with more explanation. Best to start lightly.

"This is not like you, Father."

"I told you not to call me that here!"

Years as a shinigami have helped him develop the cool mask he wears in order to avoid buckling under the older man's words. "My apologies, Ginrei-dono."

He does the only thing he can do: fall. It's a descent he's done dozens of times, and even though his mind is beginning to feel the sting of those words, he lands safely on the ground. His landing spot is right at the heart of the rebel group, and his entrance isn't missed by the rebels.

"Get him, he's by himself!"

"What a greenhorn!"

How ridiculous. Unlike Ginrei-dono's cutting remark, the insults from these rebels only remind Kouga of the vast difference between the two parties. He is a Kuchiki, and a shinigami devoted to protecting the only homeland he knows. These ants have forgotten that failure to protect the small walkways of one's home can simply bury you.

"Curse the day your eyes had the misfortune to fall upon my sword."

He does not yell. Although the irritation and fire burns brightly in his heart, he does not feel the need to raise his voice for these mere ants. They cannot understand him at any volume, so why should he strain his voice for them?

Kouga decided that when it did not matter either way how he used his voice, his preference was to whisper. He would show these ridiculous vermin what happened when he did so.

"Whisper, Muramasa."

The words fall from his lips as slowly and carefully as the sakura petals, but he has learned from his steps and struggles in the Kuchiki family that even the softest petal can cut deeply.

Purple-tinged reiatsu floods the area, expanding out in a wide radius.

He knows the rest of the scene clearly; after the first few times of watching his shikai in action, the battles tend to all follow the same pattern.

_Shock._ _Disbelief._ _Horror._ _Negotiation_. _Death_. He is intrigued how much the flow of his shikai on the battlefield reminds him of the grieving process taught by the shinigami that specialize directly in navigating souls from one world to the other. The difference is that when he releases his power, it is not acceptance that he is seeking. For those that would disturb the peace of his homeland, the only step they can look forward to after their failed negotiation is death.

_Shock._ He sees that shock on their faces, as they feel their zanpaktou beginning to change. The purple tinge glittering on the blade indicates that the zanpaktou is no longer the ally of the rebel, but an enemy unlike any other.

_Disbelief._ No shinigami he has faced has ever immediately accepted that their zanpaktou is now an enemy. He watches a rebel cut one of his own comrades down. Another one of his fellows rushes him, knocking him to the ground with a hard kick. "Bastard, why did you do that?" The fallen rebel expresses his disbelief, but is scoffed at. "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard, I'm gonna..."

_Horror._ The rebel that was so proud and mouthy just moments earlier now realizes what horror truly means. His own zanpaktou is turning against him, slowly tipping backward towards his throat. "No...no...this can't be..."

_Negotiation._ He can hear the pleas, the cries of despair. "Why is this happening?!" "Please...don't do this...make it stop..." Kouga finds them pathetic. What warrior pleads on a battlefield, or negotiates? If it's time to perish and move on to the next cycle, then that is what will happen.

_Death._ The finality of death on this battlefield is something that neither pleases or displeases him. This is duty finalized, this is honor finalized, this is loyalty and strength cleansing the world in ways that simple words just won't cover. There's no malice that runs through Kouga now, merely a soldier's fatigue.

After the rebels are lying lifeless on the ground, Kouga finds himself bringing his hands up to the red scarf around his neck and chest, pulling it up over his mouth. It's not a gesture that is necessary, but he seems to take comfort in it all the same.

_I know Ginrei-dono will be pleased. _

The name choice hurt in more ways than one. Even when they were alone, it felt like his father-in-law still needed to keep a solid wall between them.

_Why can't he say that he is proud of me? Just once..._

He counts the words that will form the ideal statement, the one that will whisper and trail over the core of his soul like the cloth he polishes his blade with. _I am proud of you, Kouga._

There. Six words total. Surely a man as great and powerful as Kuchiki Ginrei could make a small six word sacrifice? Surely his father-in-law, that was so generous to offer his lone daughter's hand in marriage, could say the six little letters that would light up his whole world...

He will see Ginrei-dono soon and give his report. Yet he has lived around and moved through the Kuchiki way of doing things long enough that he knows he must go and wash away the sweat and dirt of this battlefield.

A steady hand checks to make sure Muramasa is still on his hip, and he takes off to prepare himself for the next milestone ahead.

* * *

It would be foolishness to believe that he could approach Ginrei-dono standing as he would if he were addressing any of the other shinigami in the Division. However, this is Kuchiki Ginrei, the captain of the division and head of the noble Kuchiki clan. He must show respect, always.

So he kneels politely, respectfully, waiting to be acknowledged. He waits because this protocol, like the other steps of his structured life, is etched on the very glass of his soul.

"Kouga."

_How is it that he can say my name like that? What have I done to displease him?_

"Ginrei-dono. I successfully took care of the rebel infestation today down in the field."

"I am aware. I saw the incident."

_The incident?_

It bothered Kouga to hear Ginrei-dono speak like that to him. It was no mere incident - he, Kuchiki Kouga had performed his duty to the best of his ability. His ability to strike fear into the heart of the rebel group today surely had to raise the profile of the Kuchiki clan in some way.

_Even if our family name is only raised minimally, I would still like to hear him say something positive to me about this. Why must I bleed so deeply for his praise?_

The soreness of the day's events decided to make their presence known now, making Kouga wince.

"Yes, Ginrei-dono."

"Is that all you came to report? Do you have anything else you need to bring to my attention?"

The icy words cut at him in a way no zanpaktou ever could. He sucked in a breath, calling on all of his training not to make a scene. As much as some of the rules irritated him, he would not step outside of them. That was not the mark of an honorable man. So he kept his hurt feelings to himself.

"Yes, Ginrei-dono. Please excuse me."

He got up as swiftly as possible and thanked the gods for shunpo as he flash stepped away from a world that was filled with more pain than he could handle.

Six little words.

_Is __**that **__all you came to report? _

Six tiny words.

_I saw the incident. _

A sacrifice.

_I told you not to call me that here!_

An offering.

Six beautiful words that would never be his. That didn't seem to stop him from craving them.

I'll show you, Kuchiki Ginrei. I'll show you and the entire world. One day, my accomplishments will be so large and so great you'll have no choice but to acknowledge them.

A deep voice sliced through his thoughts. _Do not trouble your heart so, Kouga. Believe in me, and in yourself. _He realized it was the spirit of his sword speaking, trying to comfort him. He did not need comfort. He needed _momentum_. It would soon be time to obtain the latter. Once he had that, the former would come automatically.

Timing was everything. For the moment, he would whisper. Yet there would come a day where whispering was no longer an option. On that day and on that day only, he would show the world that he could _**roar**_.

* * *

**AN: Whew, writing a Kouga fic is a challenge! I tried to stick to the fillernon Kouga, which meant leaving my yaoi what-iffery out of the mix. This may grow into a 5-shot type of deal, we'll see. There's a tiny, tiny Muramasa shoutout near the end, but I'm shooting for 'Six Word Sacrifice' to be Kouga's story, with Muramasa as a supportive character.**

**I tried to get Ginrei and Kouga as IC as they are in fillernon, but it's a little tough. I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I don't think Kouga is evil at all. I think that Kouga lost his grip on reality because he had virtually no support.**

**Staying experimental with this. So far, I like it. :D This is all done from Kouga's point of view...I'm starting to really get addicted to detached first person view - I don't think that's precisely what this is actually called, but that's how I describe it. I don't really want to use 'I' for some reason. I haven't figured out why yet.**

**By the way - this is NOT part of the Pillars storyverse. That is a 'what if things were different' AU story. This is set to tie direclty into the events in ep 250 & 251 of the filler arc. So there won't be my usual KougaxMuramasa fluffies in this one - or any reference to any events happening in Pillars. I'll do my best to keep the two separated.**

**Thanks for reading, have a great one! Time to sleep for me!**


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